Fertilizer-distributer.



No. 880,561. PATEN'I'ED MAR. 3, 1908.

v W. A. MITCHELL. FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTBR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1907.

y 1a iVitneooea I WILLIAM ALISON MITCHELL, OF FITZGERALD, GEORGIA.

FERTILIZER-DISTRIBUTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 3, 1908.

Application filed September 13.1907. Serial No. 392.701.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ALIsoN MIToHELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Fitzgerald, in the county of Irwin and State ofGeorgia, have invented a newand useful Fertilizer-Distributer, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to fertilizer distributers.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this characterwhich shall be exceedingly simple of construction, durable in use, andwhich may be adjusted to supply fertilizer to two rows at one time or toa single row. Furthermore, to construct the discharging chutes in suchmanner as that they may readily be adjusted to accommodate themselves todifferent widths of rows.

WVith the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the natureof the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novelconstruction and combination of parts of a fertilizer distributer aswill be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and inwhich like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure1 is a view in vertical longitudinal section through a fertilizerdistributer embodying the improvements of the present invention. Fig. 2is a vertical transverse sectional view. Fig. 3 is a view similar toFig. 2, displaying the adjustment of the chutes for supplying thefertilizer to a single row.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the body of the distributer,which may be of the usual or any preferred construction and is providedwith inclined bottoms 2 that form a hopper and that terminate over anopening 3 in t e bottom of the body. The body, as usual, is supportedupon suitable wheels and on the hub of one of these wheels is arranged asprocket-wheel 4, around which passes a sprocket-chain 5 to asprocket-wheel 6 carried by the agitator shaft 7, which latter isprovided with the usual agitating arms for preventing the fertilizerfrom collecting in the bottom of the body.

Disposed u on one of the bottoms 2 is a cut-off 8 whic operates in theusual manner to prevent undesired escape of fertilizer from thedistributer, as when the latter is being drawn from the barn to thefield.

The novelty of the present invention resides in the distributing chutesby which fertilizer is conveyed from the body to the rows. counterpartof the other, and each consists of two trough-like sections 9 and 10,the former of which are provided with out-turned flanges 11 that arebolted or otherwise secured to beams 12 that extend transversely of thebody of the distributer. Each of the sections 9 is provided with alongitudinal slot 13 through which extends a bolt 14 that passes throughthe bottom,of the section 10 and carries a winged nut 15 by which thebolt may be tightened thus to hold the two sections properly adjusted.By the provision of the slots, bolts and nuts, the chutes may beadjusted to any width of row, and as they are oppositely-inclined andproject from opposite sides of the body, the fertilizer may be suppliedto two rows at one time, as shown in Fig. 2.

lVhen it is desired to supply fertilizer to but a single row the chutesare detached from the beams 12 and the flanges 11 of the sections 9 arebolted to blocks 16 secured to the outer sides of the body. When thechutes are thus disposed the cut-off 8 may be adjusted in the mannerabove set forth so as to discharge as small or large a quantity offertilizer as may be preferred.

In order to check the rotation of the agitator when the machine is notdepositing fertilizer, there is a lever 17 provided which is fulcrumedon a bracket 18 secured to one side of the body and engages at its lowerend with a clutch member 19. The sprocket wheel 6 is provided with aclutch member 20 that is engaged by the clutch member 19 when theagitator shaft is being driven, but when it is desired to stop the samethe lever is shifted to disengage the clutch members, whereupon therotation of the shaft 7 will cease. When the machine is not in operationthe cut-off 8 will be actuated to close aha escape passage 3 in thebottom of the It will be seen from the foregoing description thatalthough the improvements herein defined are simple in character theywill be thoroughly efficient for the purposes designed and will resultin imparting added utility to the ordinary fertilizer distributer.

What is claimed is In a fertilizer distributer, the combination with abody, of op ositely inclined bottoms secured thereto and having theirlower ends spaced apart to provide an escape opening,

Of these chutes there-are two, each a beams secured to the body andextending In testimony that I claim the foregoing as along the edges ofthe opening, blocks sei cured to the outer sides of the body, and dis inthe presence of two witnesses.

charge chutes having flanges adapted for WILLIAM ALISON MITCHELL. 5connection with either the beams or the Witnesses:

blocks whereby to adapt the machine to NANNIE CUREToN,

supply fertilizer to one or to two rows. 1 J. B. D. PAULL.

my own, I have hereto afliXed my signature

